MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Leadership

Ask a client: “What’s one thing I can do this week to better support your leadership growth?”

Write a one-sentence leadership mantra for how you guide clients, repeat it before each session.

Thank a client publicly for their progress, recognition reinforces your role as a supportive guide.

Schedule 15 minutes to check in informally with a client, listen without agenda or advice.

Share a personal story with a client, model openness and build stronger trust.

Observe one client meeting quietly, speak only when needed, practice active presence as a coach.

Reflect on a mentor who shaped your coaching, what consistent behaviors modeled effective leadership for you?

Journal about a recent tough coaching session, what did it teach you about your influence and decisions?

Write down three leadership strengths you bring clients, how often do you use them, and where can you improve?

Explore how your leadership approach with clients has evolved, what experiences shaped the shift?

Reflect on a time you struggled to guide a leader, what did it teach you about clarity or resilience?

Think about your “default coaching mode”, directive, facilitative, or supportive, when does it work best?

Share a bold client-impact vision publicly this week, invite feedback and commit to supporting the path forward.

Delegate an internal business task you normally keep, coach someone else to handle it instead of doing it.

Have a tough coaching conversation you’ve delayed, prepare carefully and prioritize clarity over comfort.

Ask a client leader: “What’s one thing you’d change if you had full control tomorrow?”

Volunteer to lead or design a client engagement outside your usual focus, stretch into a new domain.

In your next client session, pause and ask: “What am I missing?”, model inclusive leadership behavior.

Ask a client: “When do I guide you best, and when might my style hold you back?”

Request leadership feedback from a client, listen fully to their perception before explaining yourself.

Share your leadership growth goal with a peer, ask them to hold you accountable for one shift.

Invite a client to describe how they perceive your coaching style, compare with your intent.

Ask another coach how their leadership style differs, what could you adapt from their method?

Discuss with a peer how each of you builds client trust, compare strategies and outcomes.

Reframe “I need to know all the answers” as “I need to ask better questions that guide insight.”

Turn “Strong leaders are always certain” into “Strong leaders adapt when new insights appear.”

Recast “My job is to decide” as “My job is to create conditions for smarter client decisions.”

Instead of “I should’ve handled that client better,” say “That moment gave me data to improve next time.”

Shift from “I need to fix this” to “How can I enable the client team to solve this together?”

Reframe vulnerability from weakness to leadership capital, sharing it builds trust and credibility.

Watch your tone in client meetings, do you lead with confidence, curiosity, or caution? What impact does it have?

Observe how clients respond to your presence, do they lean in, hesitate, or seek direction?

Track who dominates versus stays quiet in meetings, what dynamics are you reinforcing unintentionally?

Notice your body language under client pressure, are you showing calm, urgency, or control?

Monitor when you slip into “doing” instead of “guiding”, what belief drives that shift?

Pay attention to how clients lead when you’re not in the room, what culture does your influence leave behind?

Collaboration

Start your next session by inviting your client to set the opening focus, create shared ownership early.

Send a short thank-you note to a client who trusted your advice this week, build appreciation directly.

Ask a peer consultant: “Is there anything I can help take off your plate this week?”, model teamwork.

Offer to co-design a solution with your client instead of finalizing it alone, model collaboration.

Suggest a working session instead of long emails, use the time to create side by side with a client.

Add a “Collaboration Wins” slide to your next client deck, highlight what was built better together.

Reflect on how you tend to collaborate with clients, directive, facilitative, adaptive, or empowering?

Journal about a client collaboration that worked well, what actions made it productive and energizing?

Explore a time a client collaboration failed, what assumptions or misalignments played into the breakdown?

Write down your top three collaboration strengths, how do they consistently show up with clients?

Think of a client team you enjoyed working with, what norms or habits made collaboration effective?

Reflect on when you last sought client input early, how did it shift the solution compared to waiting?

Let a client take the lead on one part of a session, step back and support their ownership.

Proactively connect two of your clients or peers who could benefit from each other’s expertise.

Start a live co-creation doc with a client, build ideas in real time instead of sending drafts back and forth.

Take a client’s suggestion and apply it immediately, then share back how it improved the outcome.

Offer to bridge communication between two client groups, own the flow of information clearly.

Begin a brainstorming session with a client by saying: “Let’s build on each other’s ideas before critique.”

Ask a client: “What’s something I do that helps or hinders how we collaborate?”, listen without defending.

Share your experience of working with a client, invite them to share theirs and compare insights.

Request feedback on whether you create space or dominate time during client sessions.

Ask a client peer how you handle disagreement, do they sense openness or defensiveness?

Debrief a client project with peers, what supported collaboration, and what got in the way?

Ask a peer known for strong collaboration: “What do you intentionally do to make it easier for others?”

Reframe “I can handle this faster alone” as “We’ll build more lasting change if we do this together.”

Shift “It’s hard to get feedback” to “Maybe I haven’t made it easy enough for others to engage.”

Instead of “The client doesn’t get it,” ask “What might they see that I don’t yet?”

Recast conflict with a client as creative tension, how can you use it to find a stronger solution?

Reframe ownership as shared momentum, how can we make this a collective win?

View resistance not as opposition but as a sign of missing context or unmet needs.

Observe which clients speak most and least in group sessions, how balanced is input, and how can you encourage all voices?

Watch how client teams build on each other’s ideas, what does productive collaboration sound like?

Track your instinct to interrupt or steer client discussions, what does it reveal about your style?

Notice what builds trust in client teams, what behaviors create confidence in the group?

Observe how clients handle conflict, do they avoid, confront, or transform it productively?

Pay attention to how credit is shared in client teams, does it reflect collaboration or centralization?

Communication

Before your next call, write your core message in one sentence, practice delivering it with clarity.

Ask a client if your last message was clear, revise based on their honest feedback before next step.

Pause after making a key point with a client, let them respond instead of filling silence yourself.

In your next email, use bullet points instead of long text, make your advice easy to scan and apply.

Record yourself explaining a client concept, replay to refine how clearly you deliver it.

Replace filler phrases in your notes with one clear word, refine your message for sharper impact.

Reflect on a time a client misunderstood your advice, what caused the gap, and how could clarity improve?

Journal about your messaging style with clients, do you over-explain, under-clarify, or adapt well?

Think about a peer who communicates powerfully, what makes their delivery clear and memorable?

Reflect on how often you listen to truly understand versus listening to respond, what shifts in outcomes?

Explore your default communication under stress, direct, vague, assertive? When is it useful or harmful?

Write down three words clients might use to describe your communication, do they match your intention?

Summarize a client concept in under 60 seconds, share it with a peer as if they were a non-expert.

Choose one contact to follow up with today, make your outreach clear, concise, and intentional.

Facilitate a meeting and close by summarizing: “Here’s what we decided, what’s next, and who owns it.”

Reframe your opinion in a session by first restating the client’s view, then add your perspective.

Use a channel you rarely choose with clients, send a voice note instead of email, or sketch instead of words.

Send one appreciation message today to a peer or client, make it specific, authentic, and behavior-based.

Ask a client: “How do you experience my communication, clear, rushed, or overly complex?”

Request feedback on a recent client email or report, was the structure clear and the tone on point?

Share your clarity goal with a peer, ask them to flag moments when your message feels vague.

Ask a client how your tone comes across, friendly, rushed, assertive, or hesitant?

Debrief a miscommunication with a client, what signals or assumptions made it harder to connect?

Invite a peer to explain how they interpret your professional communication, note any misalignments.

Reframe “I’ve already explained it” as “Have I explained it in a way the client can apply?”

Change “I don’t want to bother them” to “Clarity accelerates progress, I’ll check in.”

Turn “I’m not a natural communicator” into “I’m learning to be a clear and thoughtful one.”

Recast a miscommunication as feedback, what gap between intent and impact did it reveal?

Shift “I’ll just do it” to “If I explain it clearly, others can grow by doing it too.”

See listening as an active part of communication, not a pause between speaking.

Watch how clients react to your delivery, confusion, nodding, or silence, what signals are you missing?

Track how many clarifying questions clients ask, does your communication drive confidence or confusion?

Observe when clients lose focus, was your message too long, too abstract, or off their priorities?

Pay attention to your pacing and tone, does it shift with stress, authority, or audience type?

Notice which formats land best with clients, spoken, written, or visual, and adapt, not default.

Watch a peer consultant who communicates clearly, what structures or timing make them effective?

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